The Melancholy of Loneliness, The Joy of Company
by Hourai White
Summary: Medicine Melancholy dislikes having company. She would rather stay all by herself on the top of the Nameless Hill. Will this feeling change after a visit from a guest?


"Who are you?"

Medicine Melancholy eyed the shape of the human in front of her. The human did not reply to her question. Medicine disliked the company of others on the Nameless Hill. She wanted this annoyance to get out of her sight. She also wondered why anyone would want to venture up the hill during the darkest hour of the night.

"I said, who are you?" Medicine loudly repeated. After the human, once again, failed to respond, she tightly clenched her porcelain fists out of frustration. _Why won't she_ _answer?!_ She thought.

After some time, the human finally spoke. "Who are _you_?" She mimicked.

Medicine sighed. She hoped that responding to the stranger's question would cause them to leave. "I am Medicine Melancholy, the resident of this hill," she replied as the cool nighttime wind billowed through her short blonde hair.

"The name's Medicine, eh?" The stranger remarked. "That's an interesting name. It sounds a little familiar, too."

"Yes, that's my name, human," Medicine spoke back with annoyance. "Now, you'd better leave before I do anything to harm you." As she spoke, the wind gently blew through the hill. The clouds covering the moon moved aside. The light of the moon was revealed as it shone down on the earth.

The appearances of the two were revealed at this moment. Medicine took a close look at her companion. The human wore a white shirt and a black skirt. There was a black button-up vest over the white shirt and a white round apron over the skirt. She had black Mary Janes and white socks. The human's eyes were yellow and her hair was golden blonde and wavy. She held a broomstick in her right hand. The most significant part of her appearance was the pitch black witch hat, with a white bow, perched on her head. _A_ _black-white magician_, Medicine thought to herself.

Medicine herself wore a black shirt with red ribbon running through it in a cross-shaped design. She wore a red skirt with a black ribbon running through it in a similar fashion to that of the red ribbon. Her shoes were red, with more of the black ribbon in a cross pattern, and her eyes were a beautiful silvery-blue. Her hair was blonde, short, and wavy. A bright red ribbon was tied into a bow at the top of her head. A small doll, that looked similar to Medicine and had round fairy wings, fluttered nearby.

"Wait a moment, you look familiar," Medicine stated after observing the stranger.

"Yeah, it's as if we've met before," the human agreed with a smile. "Well, I haven't told you who I am yet, so I will tell you my identity. My name is Marisa Kirisame. I am an ordinary magician."

"Hey, I _have_ seen you before!" Medicine exclaimed as she remembered her past. "Do you remember the flower incident that happened a few years ago?"

Marisa thought for a while. "Yeah, you were that doll that used poison to keep trespassers off of your hill," she said with a grin. "That was a terrible fight. You could have killed me with that stuff."

"You still won, though," Medicine remarked. She smiled back. Her anger was gently fading away.

"Ah, that was a fun battle," Marisa sighed as she was overcome with the feelings of nostalgia. "It's really worth doing second time. We should do it again someday."

"Well, you _are_ trespassing on my hill right now," Medicine stated with a devilish grin on her face. "Why don't we engage in a full fight right now!"

"Ooh, a night battle. That sounds like fun!" Marisa cheered. She pulled out her mini-hakkero and a few spell cards. "First one down loses!" She swiftly hopped onto her broomstick and ascended into the night sky.

* * *

The battle lasted until early the next morning. There was still a small amount of poison still lingering in the air. Marisa had used all of her spells against the doll girl. She was lying on her back on the dew covered grass of the Nameless Hill. Her clothes were torn, and she had the faint smell of poison.

Medicine was lying on the foot of the hill. Her outfit was tattered and was covered in dark soot. Her head ached. She gently sat up and looked around. There were holes everywhere in the ground. _Ahh, what happened?_ The events of the night before began to seep back into her mind. She remembered releasing a large cloud of poison before Marisa fell off of her broom and plunged to the earth. _That means that I've won! _She forced herself up and ran up the hill, stumbling along the way.

She saw Marisa still lying on the grass. "I actually won!" Medicine announced excitedly but also a little wearily. "You collapsed before I did, so that means that I've won!"

Marisa pushed herself into a sitting position. She straightened the hat on her head. "Geeze, that was a difficult battle. But congratulations! You must have gained more power over time," she said with an exhausted smile. "That fight was challenging but fun. We should really do it again in the future, especially with the way your powers are developing."

"Yeah, that is a must," Medicine grinned. "But next time, I don't want to see you on my hill," she added playfully. "By the way, why were you on my hill in the first place?"

"Oh, that's easy to explain," said Marisa as she picked up her broomstick and stood up. "I was flying home from the Human Village. I guess I was going the opposite direction from the Forest of Magic so I ended up here."

"Hmm, I see," Medicine said thoughtfully.

"Well, I must leave now," Marisa said as she mounted her broomstick. "Alice may be wondering where I am right now. I don't want her to get too worried." She unleashed a long yawn. "To add to that, I am also tired. A night without sleep is not good for humans."

"Goodbye then," Medicine wearily called out as Marisa rose into the air. She watched the magician depart and disappear into the distance. "I guess the company of others isn't too bad. It's surprisingly enjoyable…" Medicine turned to look at the doll hovering right beside her.

"...right, Su-san?"


End file.
